The present invention relates to a gas-lubricated bearing. The hitherto known gas-lubricated bearings as described in the book: N. S. Grassam and J. W. Powell: "Gas-lubricated Bearings", London, Butterworths 1964, are provided with bushings pressed into a bushing hole or mounted in this hole by means of elastic rings. In the bushing, holes are provided for feeding gas at increased pressure into a slot between the bearing shaft and the bushing.
Another bearing is also known, as described in the paper of H. Mori and A. Mori: "Stabilising Method of Externally Pressurised Gas Journal Bearings", Southampton University Gas Bearing Symposium, April 1969, Paper 29 in which, with a view to elastic fastening in the housing of the bushing, the latter forms with the housing a clearance. This bearing is also fed a compressed gas, due to which, the bearing can reach a higher number of revolutions than in the case of a bearing pressed into the housing.
A disadvantage of known gas-lubricated bearings is their low rigidity compared to that of rolling-contact and sliding bearings. This often limits the range of their application.
In order to increase the rigidity in known gas lubricated bearings, pneumatic amplifiers are employed. These cause a build-up of the magnitude of pressure of the gas being fed, in the case of an increase of forces acting upon the bearing. Furthermore, with a view toward increasing the rigidity of gas-lubricated bearings, their supporting surface is often increased too.
Accordingly the object of the invention is to provide a gas-lubricated bearing with increased rigidity as compared with known gas-lubricated bearings of the same supporting surface.